Lost and Found
by ljkeek
Summary: Eddie and Jamie are foster parents to a 2 year old and it is making work challenging. When Eddie responds to the scene of a child abduction, it hits too close to home. With the help of Jamie, Danny, Erin and other colleagues, Eddie joins the team trying to bring the little girl home safely.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1:**

As much as she missed working alongside her husband, Eddie Janko-Reagan was beginning to enjoy the independence of being on a different shift. As challenging as their schedule was, finally Eddie felt like she was establishing herself as an individual at work. She had been proud to be a part of their highly successful partnership at the 12th precinct, and certainly she was proud of being Jamie's wife. Working on a different squad had been initially challenging because she and Jamie worked so well together in any capacity and she missed his input and support. Finally though, Eddie was becoming confident in herself as an individual on the job. She was one of the senior women patrol officers. In addition, she was a wife, a mother and she was respected by her fellow officers and superiors.

While her life had changed for the better since she and Jamie became parents to a 2 year old, it had also become more complicated. She now found any cases involving children increasingly difficult. It was hard not to think of Ellie when encountering young crime victims. As soon as she and her partner received the call over the radio, Eddie had a sinking feeling. Hearing that a potential child abduction had taken place, sucked all of the oxygen out of the car. Just minutes before, she had been having an animated discussion with her partner about which DVR'd television shows to watch first so they could review them as they drove around at night on patrol. Now both of them had strained expressions and as her partner drove them to the address they got from the dispatcher, Eddie stole a peek at the pictures inside of her cap. In addition to a picture of her and Jamie, was a small picture of Elizabeth from her daycare's school picture day only weeks before. It was inconceivable to Eddie to imagine someone taking the little girl from them, and she knew she had to put on her game face before reporting to the scene.

As soon as they pulled up, Eddie put on her hat and jumped from the car. With steely determination she walked up to the front door of the home. The family inside was in a state of chaos. The door was opened by a woman in her mid-50s who was frantic. On the couch was a younger female in her late twenties with tears streaming down her cheeks. She was wailing and sobbing making it clear to Eddie that she was going to be difficult to get information from, so she and her partner turned back to the other adults in the room. An adult male sat on a chair across from the couch, head in hands. The woman who had opened the door for them, spoke first and told them that her granddaughter was missing. As Eddie questioned the family, her partner was on the phone relaying the information gathered to the dispatcher. The little girl, Emelia Perez, aged six, approximately 40 pounds, with long brown hair and brown eyes was last seen by her mother in the front yard of her home. Mom had gone inside for a bottle of water and returned to find the yard empty and a maroon sedan speeding away from their residence. Her screaming had woken up the child's father who was sleeping between shifts and drawn the grandmother from inside the home. They hadn't seen anything.

More officers responded to the home as Eddie continued to gather information from the family. Her sergeant had arrived moments earlier and could see she was getting all the relevant information and establishing a rapport with the family. While Eddie was learning everything possible from the mother and father, she had a strange feeling about the grandmother. Before she had a chance to dig any deeper, a detective also arrived on the scene and after hearing the specifics from Eddie, he rudely dismissed her. At first, she balked at his behavior but catching her sergeant's eye, she stopped. Outside the residence they spoke. "Sarge, something's off with the grandmother. It just doesn't seem right." Eddie pleaded.

"Janko, there's nothing we can do about that right now. He's the detective and it's his show. Let's start looking for the car."

Before she could begin to join the others and canvas the area with her partner, Eddie heard the detective calling her back. Now all three adults in the room were beside themselves. The male was yelling at the detective and both women were now hysterical. As soon as she walked into the room, the male calmed slightly. "Good, now let this lady cop finish talking to my wife. You can't treat Gloria like this. Some creep takes my kid and you're asking us if we know who did it! Why the hell wouldn't we tell you if we knew who has her? We're victims and you're treating us like criminals. You're wasting time when you should be looking for my baby girl!"

Eddie was successful in calming the man down, and assuring the family that they needed to ask all kinds of questions. She assured him that anything and everything he shared, however insignificant it seemed, might be the key to bringing Emelia home. Eddie was reluctant to catch the detectives glance since she expected him to resent the way she was able to get through when he couldn't. Surprisingly, he gave her a reassuring glance and mouthed, "Thank you".

Three hours later, when nothing had changed, there was no sign of the car with the little girl, and the detectives were becoming irritated again. They continued to question the child's parents, with questions to the father becoming steadily more accusatory. Meanwhile, the grandmother seemed to be moving towards the fringes of the room, and Eddie found it strange that she was not sitting with her daughter offering comfort. She seemed to get more upset the harsher the questions directed at her son in law became, but still seemed to be trying to remove herself from the room. Eddie knew her suspicions were correct. The grandmother knew something.

Eddie went into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water. She handed it to the grandmother and sympathetically asked her if she needed anything. "Rosa, I can't imagine how difficult this is. Please let me know if there is anything you think of, no matter how small."

Rosa Martinez accepted the bottle and kept her eyes locked on Eddie's. It was clear from her expression that she had something she wanted to share, but as quickly as the look appeared, it passed when Rosa glanced around the crowded room. Eddie knew she needed to try something else. She gently placed her hand on the older woman's elbow and guided her to a chair in the small kitchen. As soon as she sat down, Rosa began to speak in a quiet voice thick with emotion. "Thank you so much Officer Janko. I just can't believe anything my daughter and her husband are involved in are to blame for this. It has to be some stranger that took her...But that's bad right? If it's a stranger, we will never find her." Rosa began to sob.

Eddie paused to collect her thoughts and then grabbed Rosa's hand from the table. "We are doing everything we can to find your granddaughter and we will keep looking for her until she is found. All you have to remember is to share anything you can think of, no matter how small or insignificant it might seem. People like me are here to help the detectives chase down any leads you might give us. We all want to help bring Emelia home." Eddie waited while she let the words sink in.

Rosa looked up at her. "I clean houses. It's a good business and I'm good at it." She smiled ruefully, pausing briefly. "I have lots of clients...and sometimes I find things I'm not supposed to. Could something that I found be the reason this happened? I'm just not sure."

"It depends...Did you find something?" Eddie inquired.

Before Rosa could respond, the detective came in from the other room. "Officer, you can head out now. We have guys stationed on the door and out front The rest of us are checking some things out for right now."

"Ok Detective," Eddie responded but she stayed rooted to her seat and maintained eye contact with Rosa.

Rosa seemed more overwhelmed than reluctant to share, so Eddie made a decision. "Do you have the detective's card?"

Rosa nodded. "It's on the table."

"Well, here's mine." She handed the woman her card. "Take a few minutes to yourself. Make a list of things that you may have seen or even heard at a client's home. You can call the detective directly if it helps when you think of something or call me. Either way, we are all here to help you." Eddie slid the card the woman had placed on the table back towards her. Then, she reassuringly placed a hand on the older woman's shoulder. In response, the older woman stood up and embraced her.

When Eddie walked out of the kitchen, the detective was waiting for her. "Thanks for that Officer...Janko" He completed her name after reading her name tag. "You really have a way with the family. Would you mind if I ask your Sergeant about using you for a while on this one? I think it might take a mother's touch...or a woman's… Pardon me for assuming. It's just I think the young guy I'm partnered with and this gruff old man lack that certain something." He chuckled slightly at his characterization of himself.

"No pardon needed. I am a mother - foster mother for right now but hoping to make things permanent. My daughter is turning two in just about 10 days." She smiled at the detective. I would be happy to help out in any way I can. As long as we're talking about helping, I think the grandmother is suspicious of someone. She's not exactly holding back on us, but I feel like she's either scared or struggling to accept something. I can't put my finger on it. I told her to call either you or me if she thinks of anything. Of course if she calls, I'll let you know right away."

"Good thinking, Janko." the detective said somberly. "Wait for word from your brass about being assigned over to us for a while."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:**

Both Jamie and Ellie were long asleep by the time Eddie got home from the station. She was held up by the need to stop in the chapel at the precinct and decompress for a few minutes, then she needed a long hot shower to try to wash away the fear she felt for the little girl she had only seen in pictures. It didn't help at all. Her sergeant was waiting when she exited the locker room.

t"You really impressed a few people today, Janko. Nice work. It would have been great if we could get the girl home already but you helped the detectives keep the family calm and talking. As a result, TARO is setting up the phone lines and surveillance right now with the family's support. Not sure it would have gone that way if Detectives Gregory and Petersen were the only ones doing the talking. A lot of the dinosaurs don't like to admit it, but sometimes it takes a woman to get the information we need in the tough times...It seems like Gregory realized it though, he's asked to borrow you for a few shifts. Is that OK with you? I know the kid cases are rough so you don't have to say yes. That's the benefit of not being a detective." The sergeant smiled at her joke.

"No Sarge, I'm all in. What do I need to do?"

"Go home and grab a few hours sleep. You will hear from Gregory or his partner before 9:00 tomorrow with the details. I'm going to send them your contact number then put your next couple of shifts up as OT for the others. That should make a few more people happy with you." The sergeant chuckled to herself and walked away.

As much as she had resented Eddie's presence on her squad initially, thinking it might even be so she could report on her to the PC, she liked and respected Eddie now. Eddie also consistently made her look very good whenever there were status meetings with her captain. Espinoza already approved the vacant slots Janko's absence would create as overtime so he must be in a good mood about her assignment with the detective bureau. The sergeant wasn't sure how much longer Eddie Janko would stay a patrol officer, but as long as she did, it would help both of them out.

Eddie walked out of the station and headed to her car. It was after 1:00am by now. She had been on duty since 3:00 in the afternoon and yet she was sure she couldn't sleep despite feeling terribly weary. It was not her usual midnight shift and she hated the change in routine that each squad had to endure every few rotations in order to make sure they were ready for anything in their sector. Not to mention, Eddie had not eaten since she grabbed lunch with the baby before dropping her off at daycare for a few hours until Jamie could pick her up.

Normally, Jamie dropped off the baby on his way in and Eddie picked her up when she woke up after sleeping off midnights. She was sure Elizabeth probably felt as out of sorts with the routine as she did. Now the pattern was likely to continue for a while longer. Despite the guilt she felt about that, Eddie was glad she would be able to follow through on the case of the missing child. She literally couldn't get the face of the little girl she'd seen only in photographs, and the pained expressions of her family out of her mind.

The only place Eddie knew that was open to get a bite to eat was the 24 hour Dunkin' Donuts. She pulled into the drive through lane and ordered an iced tea and an egg sandwich. As soon as the cool drink and food were in her system, she felt a little better. Plus she suddenly had an irrational need to see the baby. Knowing full well that Ellie would be asleep, as she had been for hours now, Eddie still needed to lay eyes on her.

The very idea of having the little girl taken from them was her greatest fear. The baby had no next of kin available when they agreed to foster her. The birth mother had been a foster child herself. But, they still needed to wait six months before they could apply to adopt her. It had been three already, but they were only halfway there, and it was feeling like an eternity to wait. Despite the different circumstances, the abduction of the child Eddie was helping investigate was feeling all too close to home.

When Eddie pulled into her spot in the building garage, she threw the car in park and practically ran towards their apartment. She decided to take the elevator because she was sure she would take the stairs three at a time and arrive completely out of breath if she didn't. She entered the dark apartment, secured her off duty weapon and thanked God that Jamie was already in bed. If he saw her right now he'd worry and might discourage her from participating any further in the investigation. Eddie knew she could help if she had a chance. But she also needed to set eyes on the baby.

Tiptoeing into the small bedroom that had been outfitted for their daughter, she resisted the urge to pick the baby up out of the crib. Instead she sat down in the rocker across from the baby's bed and simply watched her sleep. 15 minutes later, her eyes were heavy and beginning to close. She saw a shadow in the open doorway.

"Hey" was the only thing the tall shadowy form said, waiting for her response.

Eddie started to rise from the chair wordlessly but exhausted, she faltered a bit. Jamie crossed the room in just a couple of strides. He gently pulled her up by the hands and led her from the room. Guiding her past the kitchen he asked, "Hungry?" When she nodded no, he pulled two bottles of water from the refrigerator and grabbing her hand, led her the rest of the way to their bedroom.

"Rough day, huh?" was all he needed to ask when Eddie felt her resolve slip. She immediately started to cry, leaning against Jamie's chest. He rubbed her hair and continued to hold her tightly. "Child calls are the worst. Now that we have Ellie I can't imagine what it's going to be like. But you know we're fine. Our family is fine and everything here is safe."

Eddie nodded in affirmation. "It's just that it made me think about Ellie being taken. I can't even imagine what I'd do if anything happened to her - to our family." Suddenly Eddie felt very tired. She let Jamie guide them over to the bed. Sitting down, she removed her shoes and threw her socks in the hamper. Pulling off her leggings, she added them to the laundry as well. Then she climbed into the bed under the covers that Jamie had pulled back for her. It felt therapeutic to snuggle up against him and let the monsters that preyed on the outside world wait for just a few hours while she rested.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3:**

Eddie slept until 8:00 when her phone buzzed inside the silent apartment. Jamie and the baby had left a couple hours earlier, and Eddie had only a vague recollection of them getting ready and leaving. A post it note on her phone said, "Be brave, we're here for you - love J & E." Smiling, Eddie removed the paper and checked her messages. Detectives Gregory and Petersen would like her to meet them at Rosa Martinez' home where the Perez family lived. Eddie jumped out of bed, responded to the detectives and headed to the shower. In just under thirty minutes, Eddie was dressed and headed back to work. She tucked the note Jamie had left for her behind her badge, where it joined a few other slips of paper including the card from the mini golf game that was the scene of Jamie's proposal.

At the precinct, Eddie swapped her car for an unmarked police vehicle and drove over to meet the detectives. When she arrived, there was already a flurry of activity. Gilberto and Gloria Perez, her mother Rosa Martinez, a priest, an unidentified woman and the two detectives were crammed into the small living room. The mood was much less contentious but everyone seemed frustrated and overwhelmed, though the detectives were trying their best to hide it. A technician, wearing a department labeled polo, was set up at the kitchen table monitoring the phones and computer accounts for all three members of Emilia's family. He didn't seem to be gathering much quality information. Eddie couldn't shake the feeling that Rosa Martinez was linked somehow, even if it was unwittingly. It didn't take long for Eddie to read the room and realize that the detectives were coming up empty on the cause of the abduction.

The maroon vehicle was turning out to be a much better lead. The detectives were receiving text messages and phone calls updating them on surveillance footage and security camera feeds from the area at the time of the kidnapping. The latest was an image that showed an Empire Rent a Car logo on the bumper of the car.

Detective Gregory was eager to get the information about who rented the car that grabbed the little girl. Knowing he should stay with the family, because the "who" did this was only part of the puzzle. Most importantly was the "where", and if he was going to figure that out, he needed to stay here continuing to mine the family for information or wait for contact from the kidnappers. He was pleased to see that the young officer from yesterday had arrived. Already he remembered why he asked for her in the first place. Eddie had subtly brought over coffee for the little girl's parents and grandmother from the kitchen. She innately knew to put them at ease so they could share whatever they could think of.

Gregory motioned Eddie off to the side. "Any contact from Rosa?" he asked.

"No - would have let you know immediately," she assured him.

"Thanks... Listen, I've got a lead I need you to run down, then report back here. I am not sure who's involved yet, so give me your take on the rental agency staff as well. I requested the warrant for their complete rental records for the past 6 months. Wait while they pull them up and don't let them out of your sight while they print them out. Just in case, someone is tied up in all this from their end, I'm not taking any chances. I was surprised that the rental agency didn't call us themselves. This case has been all over the news. You'd think they would at least tell us they had a car matching that description and picture out on the road."

Eddie was immediately impressed. That was a fact she never even considered. Detective Gregory may have been a bit gruff the first time they met, but since then he had been quick to acknowledge the inroads Eddie had made with the family and was more than willing to use her to help solve the case. He was also sharing enough information to help her be her most effective. Eddie went back into the room and gently reminded Rosa and her family that everything possible was being done to bring Emelia home. She promised to check back in later with the family, but kept the nature of her departure between her and the detectives.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4:**

As Eddie drove to the car rental location, she contemplated how to handle the staff at the agency. She could come off as sweet and friendly but in light of the current situation, that wasn't the best choice. A missing child was far too serious and time sensitive for that approach. If she came off with too tough of a representation they were likely to be defensive, regardless of whether or not it was necessary. If watching Danny had taught her anything, she'd noticed that his often overly insistent or aggressive approach had a tendency to make things harder than they needed to be when gathering evidence. He was so successful because he had the advantage of working alongside Maria Baez, who played good cop to his bad cop when needed. No, if Eddie was going to learn anything from the staff, she'd have to split the difference.

She could probably get them to lower their guard by being ambivalent. She decided to pretend that she saw no real probative value in their records but needed them as a formality. She would present herself as worried for the little girl, and eager to get back to the "real" investigation. Hopefully, she could learn something from the staff when they thought her attention was elsewhere. In reality, the only time her attention was anywhere by on Emelia's disappearance, she was thinking about Elizabeth. As much as it troubled her, she couldn't stop imagining how devastated she and Jamie would be if she was taken from them.

Capitalizing on that feeling, she walked inside and up to the receptionist. Quickly scanning the room, she noticed she had a good view of several computer terminals. The entire building was small with only two closed doors visible. One solid door with no lock on the handle or door jam would likely lead to a break room and rest rooms for the employees. It had no name tag or markings. The other door was also solid, and the handle had a keyhole. It looked like something that might open up to a closet or storage room, rather than a private office. Eddie realized that in all likelihood, she was able to see all of the computers used by employees.

As soon as Eddie made eye contact with the thirty something man behind the desk, he seemed surprised and uncomfortable. Another female employee stood up and approached the counter as well when she heard her colleague say, "Good morning, officer." Both employees appeared unsure of why the police were there, but not exactly defensive or nervous. Eddie decided to start by impressing upon them the seriousness of the situation for Emelia and her family. Without any greeting and a rushed expression, Eddie produced the search warrant that was provided to her by the detectives. She made sure to tell the employees that the police were trying to contact "all" the rental agencies in the area that vehicles on the road yesterday afternoon. While she alluded to "multiple" rental locations, there was only one place and one vehicle that Eddie and her colleagues were interested in.

When the woman spoke up and asked what they needed to do, Eddie quickly but nonchalantly told her that they needed the last six weeks of rental records and attempted to seem flippant about the request. Then, she used her phone to pretend to speak with her sergeant about having made the "2nd stop" and promising to join the search once she had visited ALL of the rental agencies just in case the employees were reporting back to anyone. She continued to use the fake phone call to allude to following up on the leads they had about the parents. Eddie just hoped that if there was a connection between someone in the rental agency and the kidnappers, the parents were not connected to their crime.

"Do you need names and addresses only or copies of their licenses too?" asked the female employee who had positioned herself at the computer terminal. "Warrant says complete records, might as well include pictures...I'll make sure we get you a reimbursement form for the paper and ink." Eddie replied with ambivalence. The woman's colleague was curiously monitoring the interaction from his place at the front counter but seemed comfortably unconcerned about the nature of the information being delivered. He watched them like a curious onlooker. Eddie had not revealed anything about the particular vehicle being sought so she watched as pages and pages of information streamed from the printer. As soon as the printer stopped, two inches of paper sat in the tray. Eddie used the evidence bag she brought to collect the stack, sealed the bag and initialed it along with the employee who provided the information.

Leaving the employees with their copy of the warrant as well as a form to reimburse the company for the printer supplies, Eddie grabbed the evidence and headed for her car. She could only imagine that both employees had begun sharing details of their strange morning before Eddie had even pulled out of the parking lot. Just in case any of the people they gossiped to had any connection to the crime or the media for that matter, Eddie knew they needed to begin pouring through the information as soon as possible.

Once the detectives knew she had the information they needed, they directed her to meet Detective Petersen back at the detective bureau of the 2-9. When she breathlessly arrived with the package he greeted her by asking, "You wear reading glasses?". When she nodded negatively, he said, "then let's get started."

Two hours, four cups of coffee and a shared pizza later, Tom Petersen heard Eddie say she had found the rental they were looking for. A maroon Ford sedan had been rented to Julio Anthony three days before the kidnapping. The car was due to be returned the following day but both of them were sure it would either be late or reported stolen soon. Once he had the name they were looking for, Tom decided to direct Eddie back to the family's house to round out her shift.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5:**

When she returned to the home, Eddie could see the strain of the last 24 hours weighing heavily on the faces of Emelia's family. The priest she had seen earlier was sitting on the couch, praying the rosary with Rosa and her daughter. Gloria was an absolute mess. The beads hung loosely in her hands in direct contrast to the tight grip and fervor with which Rosa held hers. Gil Garcia was clearly exhausted and alternating between pacing and wringing his hands. He watched the women sitting with their spiritual advisor protectively. When Eddie approached the family, the Reagan she decided to emulate this time was Henry. "Have you eaten anything?" she gently asked Gilberto.

Eddie headed to the kitchen when she realized they hadn't. Quickly surveying the contents of their refrigerator, she gathered some fruit, cheese and then reached for a box of crackers on the counter. Quickly assembling a plate for them to pick from, Eddie carried it to the table and placed it in front of him. She sat down across from him and motioned for him to eat something. He limply grabbed a slice of cheese from the dish and gestured towards his wife.

"She doesn't stop crying all night. Without Emelia she is lost." His voice began breaking as he spoke the final word. "Officer, what is happened to mi hija? Is she still alive?"

Eddie decided to ignore his questions and instead decided to give him a chance to do something. "Gil, I want you to make a list for us. Anyone and I mean anyone, who might be upset with one of you, or paid too much attention to Emelia or even who might just be trouble. Make the list and we might be able to find out who took your daughter and where she is. Turning to the women who were done praying with their pastor, she sympathetically said her goodbye for the evening. We're leaving, but we're not stopping our search. We have some things to look into and we will let you know if anything comes up. Try to get some rest. We need you clear headed if we have questions for you about anything.

Eddie felt a heavy blanket of sadness covering her as she climbed into her police vehicle to go. She knew the detectives had the name of the person who rented the maroon sedan, but she could only pray that it would help them find the little girl. She couldn't wait to see her own child, and if she hurried, she would get to spend some time with her before bedtime. She was wasted no time changing back at the station and getting back into her own car. Quickly texting Jamie to let him know she was on her way home, Eddie tried to put the events of the day behind her.

When she arrived home and walked down the hallway towards their apartment, Eddie saw the little wooden 4 wheeled ride on that they had received for Ellie as a gift from friends. It was parked outside their door where Jamie and the baby must have forgotten it. The small decorative stand outside the door held a half gallon jug with what looked sweet tea. Eddie guessed that Jamie must have had his hands full with the baby and whatever he had procured for dinner. She grabbed the tea and opened the front door.

Jamie and the baby were happily setting out a Cajun meal that they had run out and picked up once they knew Eddie was on her way. The foil containers of Crawfish Monica and Jambalaya were on the table with a large dish of the barbecue shrimp that was Eddie's favorite. Seeing their faces smiling at her, anticipating her reaction, she felt so loved.

After eating, Eddie took the baby, who was covered in creamy sauce from the Crawfish Monica, into the bathroom to bathe her while Jamie cleaned up. Once the baby had played with Eddie and had a few bedtime stories, she fell asleep in her arms. As Eddie laid her in the toddler's bed, she made a silent promise to protect her from anything like what Emelia and her family were going through.

Once Eddie came back out of Ellie's bedroom, she saw that Jamie had cleaned up the dinner dishes and was pouring them each a glass of white wine. She wrapped her arms around him from behind and rested her head against his back.

"Hey there." he replied grabbing her wrapped hands with his own.

"Hey yourself" she responded.

"Sounds like you had another long day. Still no word on the little girl?" Jamie inquired.

"No," she sadly responded. "But we've got some solid leads. Detectives are following up on them now. I'm waiting to hear what I'm doing tomorrow? Maybe they'll be lucky and find her tonight."

"Well it sounds like there's nothing we can do to help, except just wait and see if you're needed. Let's relax and try to get some rest. If they don't find her tonight, they might need you with fresh eyes on it tomorrow."

That was exactly what Eddie needed to hear. It was like pure logic that give her permission to rest and recharge. Eddie accepted the glass from him and curled up next to her husband on the couch. One hour into watching Bridesmaids and they were both falling asleep despite the movie being a guilty pleasure for both of them. They decided to head to bed and watch the rest another time.

Meanwhile, Detectives Petersen and Gregory were about to pick up the man who had rented the maroon sedan which had sped away from the scene of the kidnapping. They were just waiting for a search warrant for his residence before going in. They sat in their car outside of the small but meticulously maintained home in a residential neighborhood. It looked like a young, up and coming family might live there, not a kidnapper and hopefully his victim. The two detectives were not deterred by that fact, in truth they had learned the hard way that looks can be very deceiving. Moments after the text came through that authorized a complete search of the premises, the two detectives jumped from their unmarked car and alerted the patrol vehicles parked out of view that they were headed in.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

Julio Anthony flipped off the evening news. He was tired to the bone and planned to sleep for the next 36 hours. Julio got up and placed his cup and plate from dinner in the sink. Before he could take a step away from the sink, there was a loud crash behind him. Without any time to even process what had happened, he found himself flat on his kitchen floor with a plain clothes detective snapping cuffs on his wrists. He felt like he was listening under water when the police detectives were shouting at him, "Where is she? Where's the girl?" There were no words making their way out of his mouth due to sheer and utter shock.

Detective Gregory dragged Anthony to his feet and pulled him toward the open door. Remnants of the shattered door frame were littered around the floor. Pushing aside a large piece of what was formerly known as Anthony's front door with his foot, he led Julio Anthony to the waiting patrol car. "Tear this place apart if that's what it takes. We need to find that girl." Gregory hoped that announcement would convince Anthony to come clean with him and Petersen.

Petersen watched his partner drag Julio Anthony outside and he was shocked. Not that he found his partner's behavior surprising, not that the police team that specializes in warrants was systematically working their way through every nook and cranny of Anthony's home, but by Anthony himself. If Jeff Petersen didn't know any better, he would swear that Julio Anthony had absolutely no idea why they were there. Bewildered at that and feeling less than optimistic that this lead had panned out the way they expected, he followed Mike Gregory outside.

Julio Anthony was living a nightmare. Forty five minutes ago he was standing in his kitchen mourning a recent breakup and trying to recover from the five shifts he had worked over the past three days. He was completely and utterly mystified how his bad week had progressed to the point where he was seated in the back of a squad car under arrest for kidnapping. He had no idea what his ex, Michelle, had gotten herself into after canceling their romantic weekend and breaking up with him, but it couldn't be good. It was the only explanation he could come up with other than mistaken identity, but since the police had called him by name that wasn't likely.

Julio wasn't the smartest guy, but he knew enough to keep his mouth shut until he had a lawyer. He was desperately trying to push through his exhaustion and the shock of the past hour to figure out who he could call for help. As the patrol car transporting him pulled up alongside the police station, the two patrol officers got out of the car and opened the car door for him. They helped him out of the black and white cruiser and led him inside. Julio was placed in an interrogation room and handcuffed to the heavy table bolted in the room. He was so overwhelmed that he hung his head and started to cry.

When Detectives Gregory and Petersen walked into the interrogation room an hour later, they found a man beside himself waiting for them. As soon as the door closed behind them, Julio began speaking.

"Look officers, I don't know what Michelle told you but I was nowhere near her after she dumped me. I gave my buddy the weekend in the Poconos that I already paid for, so he could take his girl. Then I basically worked every shift I could get my hands on for the past three days to try to keep my mind off things. I thought Michelle was the one. I mean I love that girl and I would never do anything to hurt her. We were supposed to be spending a weekend away together, but then she decided she needed to take time for herself." he used air quotes to emphasize the words Michelle Perkins had used when breaking off their relationship. "I'm sorry detectives but I'm going to have to ask for my lawyer before I answer any questions."

The detectives were dumbfounded. They stared blankly at Julio trying to figure out what to do next. While they had differences in opinion about how deeply involved Julio Anthony was in this case, neither one had any idea what the hell he was talking about. It felt like they were in the wrong interrogation room questioning someone else's suspect. Unfortunately, Julio Anthony was their suspect, time was ticking away and a little girl was still missing. The detectives excused themselves as required by his request for a lawyer and walked into the hallway. Gregory knew they had to get to the bottom of this quickly. "Petersen, you look into this "Michelle" and check with his employer about what shifts he's been on for the past few days. I'm going to type up warrants for his phone records and time sheets, but first I'm going to see if Officer Janko can head over to talk to Emelia's family. Maybe they've heard of Julio or his girlfriend and we can figure out what the hell is going on."

Eddie and Jamie were fast asleep on the couch in the living room when Eddie's phone rang. In his exhausted state, and used to being the one who got the late night work calls since being promoted, he picked it up and answered it. "Sgt. Reagan here. What can I do for you?"

Now Gregory's head was spinning when the unfamiliar voice reached his ears. "I'm sorry, is everything OK with Officer Janko? I was trying to reach her about a case she is helping with." Tonight was getting worse by the minute, he thought.

"I'm sorry detective. I picked up my wife's phone by accident. Here she is.." Jamie laughed slightly as he passed the phone to Eddie. Silently he began praying that the news his wife was getting would not be bad.

Eddie accepted the phone and did her best to hide the sleepiness in her voice when she answered. The remainder of her conversation consisted of monosyllabic responses to whatever Detective Gregory was telling her. Jamie tried reading her expression for signs of distress but none were visible. As soon as she closed off and placed her phone on the table, she turned to her husband with a pleading expression. "Jamie, I have to go out for a little while and see the family of the little girl." He nodded, albeit reluctantly and offered to make her coffee while she changed into something appropriate for work. Then he told her she should take his car because it would be less conspicuous than a vintage Porsche. Since she had no uniforms at home, she chose a pair of dark jeans and a simple grey turtleneck sweater. Grabbing the travel mug from Jamie and kissing him gratefully, she headed out to see the Perez family.

As she drove through the night, she fervently wished she was still partnered with Jamie and that he was with her to handle this. Detective Gregory had asked her to see if anyone in the family knew Julio Anthony, his girlfriend Michelle Perkins or anyone else who worked at the UPS facility with Anthony. She wasn't sure how to approach the family. If she was direct, and they had an immediate connection to offer, it could provide valuable time needed to bring Emelia home to her family. If they didn't know anything, and she used that approach, they could begin to lose hope in the investigation. That loss of confidence could prevent them from being clear headed enough to help detectives with the connections they might be able to identify. Instead, Eddie decided to float the names and locations to them without revealing their possible involvement. As she became more seasoned in her job, it was as if she could hear Jamie's counter arguments or alternative points of view in her head whenever she needed to make a decision. He was still her partner in spirit and she was able to capitalize on the well rounded approach they had always had as a unit.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7:**

After Eddie spent about 45 minutes talking with Emelia's family, she was only able to determine only one possible connection to Julio Anthony - his place of work. Like many other people in their neighborhood, both Gil and Jennifer had taken seasonal work with UPS to supplement their income. Both of them claimed to have no idea who Julio Anthony was, and they were telling the truth as far as Eddie could tell. Neither of them knew anyone who rented cars from Empire Rent A Car. Rosa Perez had no connection to anyone or anyplace related to Julio or the car.

With only her disappointing results to report back, Eddie decided to follow her hunch about Rosa. She began to ask her about her cleaning business and slowly brought up things she may have seen that she wasn't supposed to. Rosa was very forthcoming. She had seen quite a bit in her time cleaning houses. She had found drugs, money, stashed items she knew must have been stolen, and even a "runaway" suitcase hidden by an abused wife tucked in the rear of a closet.

That was the only item she'd ever touched, slipping a twenty dollar bill into the top. Rosa knew the woman who lived there was deeply troubled, and her controlling husband was the reason Rosa had claimed to be "retiring" when she ended her relationship with them a couple months ago. She had recommended several other ladies that she knew would do a good job cleaning the surfaces but were less thorough and not likely to find anything else the woman of the house might have hidden to facilitate her escape. Rosa had offered no other support for the woman and the two of them had never spoken beyond the normal pleasantries. It was the husband who had hired Rosa and paid her each time she cleaned.

Eddie had a strange feeling about this client so she began to question Rosa more about the particulars of this job. It turns out that the strangest part of that job had not been what she found in the closet. It was the husband's reaction to a note she left for the couple with a list of cleaning supplies they were running out of. When nobody was there at the time she finished, she would find an envelope with her name on it attached to the fridge with a magnet. This time, Rosa had looked in a drawer near the phone and found a note pad. The main side was pre-printed but the back of each sheet was blank except for a faint watermark. She used a page from the notepad to write a list of four or five items they needed to replenish.

Two hours after she returned home, she received an irate phone call from the homeowner. He seemed incensed that she had used his paper, something Rosa found unexpected but not shocking. People were often making demands of her that were unreasonable or getting upset because she overused supplies. His anger at her looking through the drawers seemed ludicrous to her especially since she washed and put away his clothes. She had learned these types of jobs were not worth the money. As she'd aged, she would use that as an excuse to cut them off of her client list. Life was too short to be treated poorly. Just because she cleaned houses didn't mean she was less than them. Rosa Martinez was a proud, hardworking woman.

Eddie returned home after midnight both thoroughly exhausted but with her mind spinning. She saw several potential suspects emerging but none seemed to fit the scenario. She could tell the detectives were feeling the same way after she reported back to them on the drive home. She had the following day off, but she let the detectives know that she was available if they needed her. Tomorrow Emelia would be missing for three days. The longer she was gone, the worse the odds were that she would come home safely. As much as Eddie wanted to become a detective, she was becoming sorry she had made such a good impression on the detectives in charge of this case. She knew Emelia's disappearance was likely to end in a way that broke her heart.

Eddie wearily entered the apartment, pausing briefly in Ellie's doorway to stare at her sleeping form. The little girl peacefully slept, gripping her navy blue velvety elephant. Eddie instantly wondered if Emelia Perez had a comfort item she slept with. When she reached the bedroom and climbed under the covers, she wept as she clung to Jamie's body. Finally succumbing to exhaustion, Eddie slept until after noon the following day.

It was Elizabeth's giggles and Jamie singing an off key version of a Disney song from Beauty and the Beast that woke Eddie the next morning. She opened the bedroom door and was immediately greeted by Ellie's excited squeal when she saw her.

"Lamby!" The baby squeaked out using her pet name for Eddie that she came up with after hearing Jamie call her "Lambchop" one day.

"Hey there princess. What are you guys up to?"

Jamie answered. "We went to church then headed to the bakery for fresh donuts. I wanted to let you get some sleep."

"Any donuts for me?"

"Of course, how could I get donuts without bringing some home for my favorite beat cop?" he teased.

"Oh my god, apple fritters and chocolate frosted." Eddie declared, adding one of each to her plate and pouring herself a large mug of coffee. She settled on the couch to eat her breakfast.

Jamie and the baby had a bunch of Little People figures spread out on the floor and they were playing some role playing game with them. Once Eddie had sat down, it wasn't long before Elizabeth was drawing her into the game. Taking the figure from the baby she joined them. After 20 minutes, the baby was getting bored and restless.

"Let me put her down for a short nap before we get ready to go to my dad's house." Jamie offered. Eddie finished her breakfast and cleaned up the kitchen while Jamie was gone. He returned 15 minutes later.

"I must have worn her out, she's fast asleep already." He laughed softly.

"Thanks so much for the extra sleep. I really needed it." Eddie offered, her voice breaking.

"Want to talk about it?" Jamie asked, crossing the room in two quick strides and wrapping her in a hug.

"Honestly, I think I need to put it out of my head for a while. Maybe later? If I'm going to be a half decent detective someday, I need to be able to leave work at the front door."

"Ok, let me know...but Ed, remember that you're human. Everyone has cases that get to them. Sometimes they will follow you inside. Then you need to let me...our family...help you deal with it. Promise?"

"Promise. What I really need is a hot shower. I don't want to go to your Dad's looking like a mess. Care to join me?"

Jamie didn't need another invitation. He grabbed her hand and led her to the bathroom. Quickly and as quietly as possible, they undressed and stood under the hot water. Showering together was a favorite way to connect for both of them. They had both been in serious relationships before, but had rarely if ever enjoyed showering with former partners. It was something that felt like it was theirs alone. Not to mention, they felt like the rest of the world was a million miles away from their private oasis. It was Jamie who got out first, grabbing a fluffy towel off of the warming rack for each of them. Eddie had shut off the water so he stepped back in and wrapped her in a towel. It was these moments, when he took care of her like this, that Eddie could palpably feel her love for Jamie growing beyond what she had believed was possible only moments before.

Shortly after they were both dressed, the baby began to stir. Eddie went in and changed her out of the pull up she slept in. Then, she fixed Ellie's hair into two small ponytails. Jamie had gathered up the garlic bread and dessert they were bringing to dinner. Finally, Jamie took the dog for another short walk and they all headed to Frank and Henry's house.


End file.
